Animal Drawing at La Specola in Florence

Continuing with my devoted students from the Accademia delle Belli Arti, we have moved on to drawing lessons at La Specola, an incredible museum of natural history in Florence, that features thousands of taxidermed animals in excellent condition, some of them hundreds of years old. The other part of the museum is a veritable human anatomy course, with very realistic wax sculptures copied from human cadavers in various states of dissection. Here it is possible to study the entire human anatomy, at the superficial and internal levels.

Until now we have focused on drawing the animals. Although the animals are long dead and taxidermed, I encourage my students to, as always, focus on the gesture of the figure, and then construct, using simple shapes, and thinking about the skeletal and muscular anatomy, and using it in a simplified way.



The students have done wonderful and sensitive sketches, as you can see here...
Pierluca Arena, pencil on paper

Francesca De Luca, pencil on paper

Pierluca Arena, pencil on paper

Francesca De Luca, pencil on paper

Pierluca Arena, pencil on paper

Francesca De Luca, pencil on paper

Pierluca Arena, pencil on paper

Francesca De Luca, pencil on paper

...and here are a few of mine...

pencil on paper

pencil on paper

pencil on paper

pencil on paper

SCARABOCCHIARE!!!

The theme for this lesson with students from the Accademia delle Belli Arti comes from this fantastic Italian word, which in English translates to 'scribble'. While drawing from the statuary in the courtyard between the two wings of the Uffizi Museum, I gave the students a limited amount of time to make each drawing (between one and two minutes).

By doing this I forced them to forget about details and to try to capture the essence, the most important information about the pose and attitude of the figure. This kind of training was handed down to me during my time at the Walt Disney studios, as animators work this way in the initial stage of their work...capturing (or in this case inventing) the attitude of the character, saving the refinement of the drawing for later.

As I explained to the students (in my slowly-improving Italian), when drawing the figure there are two parts to the process--an initial one that is more free, loose, intuitive (some would say right-brained), and a second part which is more rational or 'left-brained', in which the figure is constructed from simple volumetric shapes (boxes, cylinders, spheres), and then further refined.

But without this initial 'right-brained', intuitive stage, the drawing will remain a stiff, lifeless academic study which has missed the 'story' or the play-acting of the pose and of the figure.

Thank you to my mentors at Disney such as Glenn Vilppu and Walt Stanchfield (and their mentors such as legendary animator Frank Thomas) who passed this accumulated wisdom to me, so that I have been able to share it with my students in these last fourteen years of teaching.

...here are a few of the great student drawings...

Pierluca Arena, pencil on paper

Pierluca Arena, pencil on paper

...and a few of mine...

Florence Sketch and Stroll Photos

This afternoon's Sketch and Stroll participants ranged from Accademia delle Belli Arti students, to Polimoda fashion design students, to Americans who have relocated to Florence permanently or semi-permanently. It was a great group and we had a lot of fun. Thank you to everybody for participating! Here's a comment from one participant: "That was such an enjoyable afternoon and so valuable too. I have avoided learning to draw for some silly reason and this was as painless a way to break the taboo as I could have imagined. Thank you so much for your help and pleasant way of teaching! I really hope to be able to do some more work with you"

FLORENCE AFTERNOON SKETCH AND STROLL ON NOV 15TH

Join me and other sketching afficionados for a three hour sketch and stroll from Piazza Santissima Annunziata to Piazza Signoria. This introductory sketching tour is FREE, and all ages are welcome! Bring whatever art materials you like to use, and be sure to bring a friend. Absolutely no previous drawing experience is necessary! We will meet at the equestrian statue in Piazza Santissima Annunziata at 14.00 (2pm). Rain will NOT cancel (in that case, we'll be sure to break out our watercolors!). Looking forward to seeing you then! For any questions please contact me at 331 881 5605 or mwiesmeier@gmail.com

A review from a recent student

"I had a really great time with Mike. Though I'd taken drawing before, I wasn't very confident and hadn't ever worked with color. He did a great job explaining the basics and was able to distill the concepts into easily understandable phrases. His comment that I should focus on painting the relationships between things was extremely well-put and helpful."

Oil Painting on the Arno!

I've recently started teaching plein-air painting to an already experienced oil painter from Seattle. This week we painted two times on the Arno, looking toward the city from Parco Cascine, and will continue there next week. After that, who knows? So many great places to paint in town and in surrounding Tuscany! Here is a comment from the student:
"My three weeks of painting with Mike along the Arno were some of the best hours spent in italy. Mike saw how far I had reached in my painting, the blocks and the limitations. We reorganized, did a quick course from the beginning, and produced one of my best paintings yet, with a much more comprehensive view on my part, pulling together a lot of information, in a way that was just right for me. I feel I moved ahead both in my painting and in appreciation of painting in general. Thanks, Mike."

Saturday Sketching and Watercolor continues!

We have been meeting for several months now and the group has grown and diminished and then grown again. My wife Caterina has now joined us, which is great fun! This last Saturday we were all in different parts of our hosts' beautiful garden...here are some images.

Sketching and Painting instruction with 3 from Napa, CA!

I have had the pleasure in the last few months to have three new young students who are living in Florence from January to June of this year. Two are sisters from Napa Valley, CA who have come here with their mother to live and experience Florence for these months. The other is the friend of one of the sisters. We have had some great drawing sessions, and occasionally the drawing breaks into full-color with watercolors being shared by all of us. What better way to dress up a drawing than with the most versatile medium of watercolor?! I am very proud of my young students and share with you here some of their amazing work (and some of mine, too)! Enjoy!

Figure Drawing with Accademia di Belli Arti students

Recently I've been instructing a group of students who are studying figure drawing at the Accademia di Belli Arti. The composition of the group changes weekly, but consists mostly of American exchange students, and a few local Florentines. We have been talking about the importance of gesture and proportion, and constructing the figure with simple shapes such as boxes and cylinders. The Loggia dei Lanzi in Piazza Signoria affords us great opportunities to study from the masters of sculpture. The group seems happy with the results of our sessions and we plan to continue meeting regularly!

Sketching and Painting in Paris!!

On March 28th my fianceé Caterina and I were married in Florence. For our honeymoon we spent six wonderful days in Paris. Here are some of the sketches and paintings that we did together. What an inspiring place to draw and paint!

Figure Drawing Workshop at NYU in Florence

February 23rd and 25th Mike gave a two-part workshop on "The Principles of Animation and Drawing the Human Figure". The lecture on the 23rd was about the development of animation and the principles that have allowed animators to create their amazing characters over the last seventy years. The emphasis of the talk was on the tradition of hand-drawn animation, specifically at the Disney studio. Students learned about principles such as 'squash and stretch', 'anticipation and follow-through', and 'arcs' to understand how animation is created, and more generally how animators approach drawing. On Wednesday the 25th eight students participated in a two-hour drawing session, where they applied the principles of animation to drawing from a human model. They did exercises such as pushing the gesture of their drawings, actually taking the same pose as the model was taking to have a 'kinesthetic' appreciation for the gesture, and finally drew the model in a 'moving pose', which required very fast drawing to jot down the essence of the fleeting pose. It was a great two evenings!

Inspirational Sketching Quote #4

'Tradition is not the worship of ashes, but the preservation of fire'

Saturday Sketching and Watercolor

In the past few months I've had the pleasure of teaching a small group of students, which include a local Florentine (originally from Rome), and two American expats living in Florence. We've been having a lot of fun drawing and painting in the beautiful home and garden of our Italian hosts. We've also ventured out into the surrounding countryside which affords beautiful views of the city. Topics we've been discussing and practicing include value, color, and composition. We've also studied from past artists such as Turner, and the Macchiaioli group of Florentine painters who were active in the 19th C. Here are some of the works of my students...beautiful!

Sketching Tip #5: Visit your local art museum!

I have been sketching in art museums for decades now, and have had the great privilege to teach drawing at some of the best, such as The Getty Museum, The Getty Villa, Norton Simon Museum, and The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens (pictured here--I taught a head drawing class during which we studied a portrait painting by Sir Joshua Reynolds). To draw directly from the work of the great masters is a wonderful opportunity. Most museums now have education departments that offer regular drawing classes. But even if your local museum doesn't, you can still take advantage and learn directly from what the masters have to show you. Be sure to check with the museum staff when you arrive, to tell them that you plan to sketch--that way they can tell you what limitations and regulations they have on drawings materials that you can use. Have fun!

Post-Sketching Tour instructional support!

Every Sketching in Tuscany participant can take advantage of a wonderful and rare benefit: ongoing instruction after the Sketching Tour via email--at no cost!! This is an unusual opportunity and a good reason in itself to sign-up now for one of next summer's tours! This year's participants are already planning to take advantage of this great feature. They will do it by scanning and emailing drawings, then I print them and make corrections/suggestions, scan and email them back! I am offering this benefit because I believe the teacher/student interaction and relationship that we develop during our week in Tuscany should be allowed to continue (via this wonderful technology we have access to)...I am committed to assisting you on an ongoing basis!

The benefits of small group size

Just wanted to draw extra attention to one of the benefits of participating in Sketching in Tuscany tours--small group size. I limit my groups to twelve people for many reasons. It leads to a more individualized experience. More time for one-on-one instruction, which is where the real learning happens. It also creates a more personal, informal tone for the entire experience. In addition, when touring through Florence and other Tuscan towns, we are less obtrusive as a group, and 'blend' nicely with our surroundings. Many sketching and art tours allow 20 or more people per group. In this respect, smaller is definitely better! Hope to see you in Tuscany next summer!

Refer a friend and receive a Rebate!

Register now for one of the Sketching in Tuscany tours, and then refer a friend who also registers, and you will receive a 10% rebate of the full registration price. Sign-up for one of the four sets of dates for 2009, and then tell a friend!

Sketching in Tuscany 2009 dates announced

The schedule for Sketching in Tuscany 2009 has officially been set. You can choose from the following sets of dates:

August 27th to September 3rd
September 4th to September 11th
September 12th to September 19th
September 20th to September 27th

Visit www.sketchingintuscany.com to see the day-by-day itinerary!

Sketching in Tuscany 2008 a big success!

Great sketching, great company, and great food...we had a wonderful time!

Sketching Tip #4: Drawing the Face

One of the most popular things to look at and to sketch is the human face. The most common mistake when drawing the face is the same as when drawing most things - rushing in to draw details before establishing the big shapes, relationships, and proportions. A way to simplify the shape of the face is to think of it as a mask, like those used in the theater of antiquity. It extends from the widow's peak to the front of the ear to the bottom of the chin to the front of the other ear, and back to the widow's peak - an overall oval shape (except in profile, where it looks more like a triangular shape). Within this you can indicate the 'T' of the face which consists of the eyeline and midline (the midline divides the head and face from left to right). By establishing these simple shapes and landmarks first, you will have established a solid foundation in the correct perspective, and with the right proportions. Then on top of this you can continue to draw the features. Try this out, and have fun!

Inspirational Sketching Quote #3

"A sketch is generally more spirited than a picture [finished work]...it is the artist's work when he is full of inspiration and ardour, when reflection has toned down nothing; it is the artist's soul expressing itself freely." -Denis Diderot

Book recommendation #1: 'Sketchbooks of the Romantics'

image source: 'Sketchbooks of the Romantics', by Robert Upstone

I always find it endlessly interesting and inspiring to see preparatory studies and sketches by artists who we more typically associate with more finished works. This book provides an insight into the working methods of some of the great artists of the Romantic period, including Corot, Turner, Constable, and Goya. It includes beautiful sketchbook sketches and small color studies.

[from the back cover] 'By endowing the commonplace with a lofty magnificence, the ordinary with a mysterious aspect, the familiar with the merit of the unfamiliar, the finite with the appearance of infinity, I am Romanticising." -Novalis

Inspirational Artist #2: Heinrich Kley

image source: 'The Drawings of Heinrich Kley', Dover Publications

Heinrich Kley was a political cartoonist in early 20th C. Germany. His drawings are whimsical, and loosely drawn, yet his figure are very well constructed with solid anatomy. When I worked in animation, everyone I knew studied from Kley's drawings. Try copying some - you'll learn a lot. Have fun.

If you'd like to purchase the book 'The Drawings of Heinrich Kley', you can order it online through Dover Books.

Sketching in Tuscany Itinerary Highlight: Day 1

The itinerary for the first day of my Sketching in Tuscany tour is an opportunity for participants to get acquainted with the historic center of Florence. We will begin walking from the Hotel Villa Liana, where Sketching in Tuscany participants will be staying. The first stop is Piazza della Santissima Annunziata,
which features a beautiful church and the Spedale degli Innocenti, the first orphanage in Europe. The piazza was also used in the filming of the opening sequence of 'A Room with a View'. We can see the Duomo from here, and it is our next stop. The most known icon of Florence, the immensity and beauty of this cathedral is overwhelming. But there is more! The last stop is Piazza Signoria, the political center of the city, featuring Palazzo Vecchio (city hall)
and the Loggia dei Lanzi...and of course David!

Inspirational Artist #1: Honoré Daumier

Daumier was a French 19th C. caricaturist, cartoonist, sculptor, and painter. His drawing is wonderfully loose and full of life. I highly suggest studying from this wonderful artist. Enjoy.

Inspirational Sketching Quote #2

Here's a good one particularly when you're feeling frustrated with your drawing efforts (which we all do I would say pretty regularly)...

“In spite of everything I shall rise again: I will take up my pencil, which I have forsaken in my great discouragement, and I will go on with my drawing” -Vincent Van Gogh

Praise from a former student

'It was great to meet you at the Norton Simon Museum. The instruction was terrific. You have a very calm, soft spoken style with loads of knowledge to share. Teachers are a special lot. Not everyone can teach. It was my pleasure to be in your class. I look forward to the next one.'

Sketching Tip #3: The Sketchbook Habit

This may seem self-evident, but I'll say it anyway...the more time you put into sketching and drawing, the quicker you will improve. Of course there are other factors, like having good instruction, but I and other drawing teachers believe that pencil (or pen) mileage is the most important one. The best way to draw often is to carry a sketchbook with you wherever you go. This way you will always be ready when the inspiration strikes, and instead of thinking 'gosh, I'd love to draw that', you open your handy sketchbook and start sketching. To maximize convenience, I recommned having several sketchbooks of varied sizes, so that depending on where you're going when you leave home, you can grab the one that's most appropriate. For small sizes, I love the Moleskine sketchbooks, and for larger sizes I use the Canson spiral-bound sketchbooks. Have fun out there, and don't forget your sunscreen!

Sketching Tip #2: Avoid the Most Common Mistake

The tendency we all have when we draw is to zero-in on details before we have established a solid, overall foundation for our drawing. Errors in proportion are largely due to this mistaken approach. Instead, we want to work from the general to the specific. Start with the biggest shapes you see...if it's a landscape, the overall shapes and contours of the terrain or architecture (before you start drawing leaves on trees, or doors on buildings), if it's a portrait, the shape of the face and hair mass (before you start drawing specific facial features). Draw lightly during this stage, then later you can develop specifics on top of this foundation. By always approaching your drawing this way you will end up with a much better drawing with more accurate proportions. Have fun!

Inspirational Sketching Quote #1

"It is only by drawing often, drawing everything, drawing incessantly, that one fine day you discover to your surprise that you have rendered something in its true character." -Camille Pissarro

Sketching Tip #1: The Benefits of Copying

I always encourage my students to practice drawing from previous artists. When I taught life drawing at the Art Institutes of California, I gave regular master figure studies for students to complete. When I taught drawing at the Getty Center and Norton Simon Musuem of Art, students worked on studies directly from master artworks. The idea when copying from a favorite artist is not to reproduce the drawing or painting exactly, but to spend time with it, study from it, and learn from the work and from the artist. There are many benefits from this practice. It develops technical skill, the eye for observation, and also an aesthetic sense. And it's also fun. Some good sources of master artworks are www.wga.hu, books, and museums. Enjoy.

Sketching in Tuscany website is live!

The website for Sketching in Tuscany sketching tours has officially launched today, July 20th. Please visit the site for a day-to-day itinerary description, including beautiful photos of sketching destinations. The website also features information about accommodations, a question-and-answer page, sketches by the instructor, and a page for registration. www.sketchingintuscany.com